title: Increased hepatic glucose production response to glucagon in trained subjects.
abstract: This study was designed to characterize the impact of endurance training on the hepatic response to glucagon. We measured the effect of glucagon on hepatic glucose production (HGP) in resting trained (n = 8) and untrained (n = 8) healthy male subjects (maximal rate of O2 consumption: 65.9 +/- 1.6 vs. 46.8 +/- 0.6 ml O2.kg-1.min-1, respectively, P < 0.001). Endogenous insulin and glucagon were suppressed by somatostatin (somatotropin release-inhibiting hormone) infusion (450 micrograms/h) over 4 h. Insulin (0.15 mU.kg-1.min-1) was infused throughout the study, and glucagon (1.5 ng.kg-1.min-1) was infused over the last 2 h. During the latter period, plasma glucagon and insulin remained constant at 138.2 +/- 3.1 vs. 145.3 +/- 2.1 ng/l and at 95.5 +/- 4.5 vs. 96.2 +/- 1.9 pmol/l in trained and untrained subjects, respectively. Plasma glucose increased and peaked at 11.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/l in trained subjects and at 8.9 +/- 0.8 mmol/l in untrained subjects (P < 0.001). During glucagon stimulation, the mean increase in HGP area under the curve was 15.8 +/- 2.8 mol.kg-1.min-1 in trained subjects compared with 7.4 +/- 1.6 mol.kg-1.min-1 in untrained subjects (P < 0.01) over the first hour and declined to 6.8 +/- 2.8 and 4.9 +/- 1.4 mol.kg-1.min-1 during the second hour. In conclusion, these observations indicate that endurance training is associated with an increase in HGP in response to physiological levels of glucagon, thus suggesting an increase in hepatic glucagon sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Centre Hospitalier, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drouin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavoie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ducros
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poisson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chiasson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000409:Alanine / Q000097:blood; D005934:Glucagon / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D007329:Insulin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007329:Insulin Antagonists; D007773:Lactates; D013004:Somatostatin; D005934:Glucagon; D000409:Alanine